Control Your Coffee
03.07.25 The Friday Footnote: A daring real estate rewrite, a market deep dive, and the return of Wicked Moxie—a bigger, better, bolder sumatra brew.
BIG EXCITING NEWS: You can now control how much email I send you!
Also, yesterday, I accidentally sent an old Wicked Moxie via email to everyone on the list. So, sorry for that, but everything is now in the Archive !
Tomorrow, we’ll be adding The Saturday Rundown section of Coffee with Steve, which is a recap of everything that has been published throughout the week. If you don’t want all the emails, but still want updates, turning everything off except The Saturday Rundown is your best option.
Well, I think just letting me clutter your email inbox all week is your best option—but I get it. Email is like wrestling a greased pig, but not for fun.
The Wicked Moxie is on its way back. Bigger, better, expanded.
Most importantly, I want to hear from you!
💬 Have a specific idea for what you'd love to see in the Coffee with Steve Newsletter?
In the Real Estate Market
Active listings today in the Seacoast are 221. The highest days on market is 590 days, the lowest 1, the average 69, and the median is 41.
The lowest price point is 72,900 for a completely renovated 1959 Manufactured/Mobile home in Rochester with a 450 monthly HOA. It boasts a whopping 630 square feet of living space. Financing for a home like this is typically difficult due to the age of the property, but the listing agent has explored options that may work for the right buyer.
Over the last six months, 557 transactions have closed, and an additional 100 properties have gone under contract. The lowest sold price point was $130,000. The highest priced sold property was 10,500,000 and was on market for a whole whopping zero days—which could indicate a pre-arranged sale, an in-house brokerage transaction, or an off-market deal, and while these happen, buyers and sellers should always weigh the pros and cons of public versus private sales.
We do see a little bit different story with sold days on market than we do with the current active listings. Instead of the very high 590 days on market, sold properties over the last six months had a median 8 days on market and an average of 17.
Over at CalculatedRisk, national numbers coming in for February show that housing inventory is rising year-over-year, though we are still not at the pre-pandemic 2019 levels. And the amount of inventory available is certainly mixed, dependent upon location. Up in Denver, down in San Diego. Higher mortgage rates continue to feel high, averaging 6.72% to 6.96%, though I’ve heard a lot of people hope these numbers will certainly drop soon.
Inventory is building, but supply is still constrained compared to pre-pandemic levels, and mortgage rates remain a defining factor in market movement. More local market reports are needed for a complete picture.
For the most part, the Seacoast market actually aligns with these national trends: a slower market overall, but hot for the right homes at the right price. If mortgage rates stay high, expect a continued mixed market—buyers will be picky (rightly so), and overpriced homes will sit.
The big question: Will the spring real estate season bring renewed and heated momentum?
The high mark in this data is 34 & 32 Willow Avenue in North Hampton, which has only been on the market for 11 days so far. Normally, I try to target reasonably priced homes in the property of the week, but please scroll down, click the link, and salivate over the photos.
When I post these properties of the week, I’m pretty lazy about the whole ordeal and simply copy and paste the listing agent’s description underneath. Which I did here too, but for such an outstanding property… well, I got some complaints about the length of last week’s Friday Footnote. But dangit, grammar is important. And when homes at this price point sit longer, sometimes it’s not the market, it’s the marketing.
So. I rewrote.
Architect William G. Rantoul built more than homes. He shaped the cultural and artistic legacy of New England. Best known for the Manchester Institute of Arts and Sciences (now the New Hampshire Institute of Art) Rantoul’s work stands a cornerstone of the state’s commitment to the arts, a legacy championed by Emma Blood French and Dr. Leonard Melville French. When the Frenches commissioned Rantoul to design Testarossa al Mare, they extended that same dedication to beauty, meticulous craftsmanship, and cultural significance to the Seacoast.
Here, in the Boar’s Head Historic District, along the rugged Atlantic coastline, some of the most distinguished minds of the early 20th century found inspiration. Franklin D. Roosevelt, Colonel George Studebaker, Ogden Nash. Testarossa al Mare is a charge. A call to stewardship.
To own Testarossa al Mare is to hold tangible that tradition—a living link between the artists, thinkers, and the philanthropists who shaped New Hampshire and the generations who will carry that legacy forward.
The original description, which you can read below, offers an overview of the property’s architectural styles and features. For a full breakdown of specs and amenities, see the official listing details also linked below. The description highlights the estate’s size, design elements, and additional structures, offering buyers a clear, factual understanding of the physical attributes. But there is no narrative, no emotion, that connects the property’s history to its present-day significance.
And you know, I took a writerly risk in my revision, choosing to ignore all physical descriptions. The photos and virtual tours do a lot of work already, and when you only have about 150 words to work with, your choices have to be all that more daring.
PROPERTY OF THE WEEK
34 & 32 Willow Avenue, New Hampton
🛏️10 Beds, 🛁13 Baths, 📏11,326 sq ft, $18,500,000
Estimated payment: $119,960/mo
Estimation provided by Keller Williams Realty Inc.
Contact a mortgage broker today!
Testarossa al Mare offers an exceptional opportunity to own a distinguished piece of New England history. Constructed between 1903 and 1904 by philanthropist Emma Blood French and Dr. Leonard Melville French, the estate was designed by renowned architect William G. Rantoul. This architectural masterpiece blends English Manor, Tudor, Italian Renaissance, and Colonial Revival styles, showcasing a visionary design. The estate spans over 9 acres with ten bedrooms, 13 bathrooms, and expansive living spaces, thoughtfully crafted for large-scale entertaining. Its exceptional craftsmanship features distinctive chimneys, Doric columns, an expansive piazza, intricate wood moldings, and beamed ceilings. A striking red roof crowns the property, offering sweeping, unobstructed views of the Atlantic Ocean and surrounding marshlands, preserving its historic character and emphasizing the foresight of its original creators. In addition to the main residence, the property features a caretaker’s quarters and a newly renovated four-bedroom carriage house, providing ample space for guests, staff, or family. These thoughtfully designed additions ensure the estate’s functionality and upkeep. Lovingly restored, Testarossa al Mare seamlessly blends historic elegance with modern comforts, offering a rare opportunity to own a truly unique and historic estate.
There are two virtual walk-thrus here and here.
Video of the Week
Tiktok failed to load.Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser
Too many emails? You can manage your subscription here.